


The Gesture

by readwriteandavengers



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Historic Romances, M/M, Nate's a sap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-29 04:55:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10846896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/readwriteandavengers/pseuds/readwriteandavengers
Summary: Nate willingly volunteers to stay back, watch the Waverider and curl up with a few good books when the team decides to head out to a bar. Mick returns earlier then he expected.





	The Gesture

**Author's Note:**

> So this has been sitting around for awhile and I just decided to wrap it up today... Pretty short. Thanks for reading!

Nate’s bent over a large book with his glasses on and a mug at his side. It’s late, he knows that much, but he hasn’t left the library almost all day. The rest of the team decided to take it upon themselves to have a break, which Nate would never argue against. But some of the team landed and made their way to a bar for some drinks and to socialize while other members decided to take advantage of the quietness among the ship and truly relax.

Amongst the group who decided to go out was Mick, Sara, Jax, and Amaya. The four had put on some nice clothes, gathered their bills and made their way over with smiles on their faces. Meanwhile, Nate, Ray, and Stein happily stayed back on the ship. Someone had to stay and watch the vessel, which Nate jumped on the opportunity, but Ray was working on some research and Stein simply wasn’t one to go out to bars.

That’s how Nate landed himself in the library, taking advantage of the works that Captain Hunter had managed to collect throughout his journeys. Nate had started off first with some of the books covering some conspiracy theories. Then once he finished that he moved on down the shelf to find information about future inventions. Nate had lost interest in that so he scoured the shelves until he found a thick novel regarding historical romances.

Nate found himself picking up the document and walking his way over to the desk. Leading to where he is now, over one hundred pages into the book. He knew of a few historical romances off had, which he truthfully found fascinating, but the book covers so much more.

Nate relaxes further as he carries on reading, now leaning back in his chair and kicking his feet up on the desk. He places the book in his lap as he moves on until he’s past two hundred pages. He’s going to go on until he feels tired, but a noise comes at the door of the library.

Nate looks up from the book to find Mick taking a step inside with a bored expression. Nate’s lips quirk up in a small smile as Mick enters further.

“Hey, Mick. How was the night out?” Nate asks as he swings his legs down from the desk. He politely sets the book aside, now turning his attention on his teammate.

Mick shrugs his shoulders with a grunt. “The team’s still out. I’m calling it a night though.”

Nate nods in understanding as a he runs a hand through his hair thoughtfully. “Smart man.”

Mick then procures two beers at his side, which has Nate wondering if he placed those in his pocket just in case he wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to offer them. He hooks the necks of the bottles between his first two fingers, then waves his hand gently forward in an invitation.

Nate smiles in response, now leaning forward in his chair to grab the offered drink. Once the two have their own beers, they unwind further. Mick’s lightened the atmosphere by his thoughtful gesture, which Nate won’t be forgetting anytime soon. Mick finds a spot on a nearby dresser, now resting his back against it. Nate, meanwhile, keeps his chair and lounges back further.

Mick twists off the cap, a hiss from the beer following. The cap is then discarded in his pocket, and he follows up by taking a deliberate swig from the cool beverage. He acts casual now, just looking around the room as he and Nate grow silent.

Nate does the same, placing his bottle cap beside his book. He takes a sip as well, and then licks a stray drop off his bottom lip. The beer is rather tasty, so he turns the glass around in his hand to peer at the label. Nate’s more of a talker, but he knows Mick isn’t so he’s content with the silence. Mick gets annoyed with babbling which Nate does often so he controls himself.

After another minute and another swig from his beer, Mick finally lowers it to rest in his hands. His eyes look around the library curiously, but once he sees the book Nate’s reading his attention focuses on that.

Mick tilts his beer towards the book, which has Nate’s eyes flitting down to the object. “What are you reading?”

Suddenly, Nate’s thrown back to the detailed counts of historical romances and his cheeks heat up. He straightens up at the question, laughing nervously as he tries to act casual. He shrugs as he glimpses at Mick, but he’s only looking back at Nate seriously. Nate waves his hand at the book dismissively. “Uh, nothing too interesting.”

Mick’s brows crease at the sentiment but now he’s pushing off of the dresser and taking steps closer. “Then why are you reading it?”

Nate’s lips form words, but he only finds himself stammering as he tries to come up with some sort of excuse. By the time that he finally makes a noise, Mick is standing over him, his chest only inches from Nate’s face. He tries to protest as Mick reaches over him for the book, but Mick’s already reading the title.

Nate’s eyes glaze upwards shyly, now watching Mick’s face with interest. He can see the other’s lips move as he forms the words of the title, and Mick’s eyes narrow as if he might need a pair of glasses. Nate realizes he’s watching with parted lips so he shuts his mouth tightly and swallows. He even takes a deep breath to calm himself from the proximity, but now he’s only greeted with Mick’s scent.

Nate’s forming sentences in his mind on how he could possibly describe the way Mick smells, but then he notices Mick glimpses down at him. Nate’s eyes flicker back up to Mick’s face from his chest, wondering when he decided to stare.

“You’re a sap.” Mick says in response as he sets the book down to Nate’s page respectfully. Then he steps away, heading back the short distance to where he was leaning against the dresser. Anything Mick says can be considered intimidating, but this time he only sounds fond.

Nate huffs out a laugh at that, now feeling like he can breathe again since Mick isn’t leaning into his space. “I’m not a sap.” He backfires with a roll of his eyes. He waves his hand towards the book nonchalantly, feeling the need to explain. “I’m a historian. I’m reading about history.”

Mick chuckles at that as he lifts the beer to his lips. “A historian reading about love stories.” He answers back.

Nate hesitates, but continues on indignantly. “ _Historic_ love stories.” But by now Nate already knows he’s defeated as Mick shakes his head with a smile.

“Whatever you say, Pretty.” Mick ends his teasing almost as quickly as he started it, continuing with his carefree attitude. It’s one of Nate’s biggest pet peeves, how Mick acts like he’s interested one minute and then like he doesn’t care the next.

Nate rolls his eyes as he takes a sip from his drink. Another silence falls amongst them, but this time there’s slight tension. A tension where Nate feels the need to say something but isn’t sure what. So he finds him nodding his head slowly, now looking up at Mick carefully. “Thanks for the beer,” he says smoothly, now turning back to his book. He hopes Mick will take that as a dismissal.

A beat follows before Mick is speaking back up. “Tell me about the one you’re reading.” Mick forms it like a demand, but Nate knows it’s a timid question. He’s curious.

Nate glimpses back up at Mick, disbelief heavy in his brow until he finds Mick looking back seriously. He blinks a few times, baffled that Mick would even bother asking but he complies. “A prince renounced the thrown to marry the woman he loved.”

Mick’s grinning as he shakes his head disappointedly. “What an idiot. Did she end up leaving him?”

Nate rests his elbows on the table as he looks down at the print with a smile. Mick glimpses up to watch him, but Nate’s too distracted to notice. “They lived happily married for over seventy years until the prince died. His love died two months later. Probably broken hearted.”

Mick’s shaking his head as he tips his beer back. Once he swallows, his voice fills the room. “Saps.”

Nate feels his anger coming out, but he tries to reign it back in. His mother would always tell him she knew when he was angry because of the small twitch in his right brow. He hadn’t noticed he did that until it was pointed out. Now he feels that twitch and tries to school it back in with a breath. “It’s actually a beautiful, intricate story of all the adventures they had gone through together.”

“Maybe we’ll make It to that time period and we can see for ourselves.” Mick says in a challenging tone that has Nate perking up in response. He tries to settle down, but Mick’s the one pushing… so surely it’ll be okay if he corrects him.

“You don’t think they loved one another?” Nate inquires, his head tilting to the side as he watches Mick’s expression with ease. The other seems to think about it, letting his drink fall back to his side as he ponders the small information he now knows.

Mick shrugs as he glimpses over towards Nate, now giving him an irritating smile. “I don’t think any guy would give up being rich. It’s baloney.” 

Nate’s eyes narrow further as he rejects the thought. “Perhaps _you_ couldn’t give up being rich. But this guy clearly cared more love than money. Giving up the throne was clearly his gesture.”

Mick barely looks bothered enough to ask, but he does. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” Nate starts as his eyes fall as he starts to explain his personal thinking. “You have to prove you care somehow. That was how the prince showed he cared. He was willing to give everything up for her. It was his gesture.”

Mick ponders that thought, his fingers shifting against his bottle. Finally he lets out a noise of understanding. “A gesture.” He repeats, lips landing on the glass as he takes another sip. The drink is chilled, but he can feel his insides starting to grow warm from the alcohol.

The thought process Nate can se across Mick’s face is interesting. He can see the point that Mick starts to question the idea, then how he starts to throw the term around in his head as he starts to understand it more. Then he sees understanding settle, specifically by the way that Mick’s face softens.

Nate’s going to carry on just as Mick pushes away from the dresser again and starts to walk past. He’s guessing Mick’s lost interest, in the general sense that he usually does. He expects Mick to walk past, leave the room without another word. He should be honored that Mick opened up enough to bring him a beer. A kind gesture like that is rare from the gruff team member.

But Mick doesn’t walk past. He stops just at the side of Nate’s chair and places his hand firmly on the back. The pressure causes Nate’s chair to dip backwards, giving him a good angle to look right into Mick’s face. His lips part as he sees the concentration on the other’s face.

And Mick takes that as his opportunity. He dips down, keeping his gloved hand firm on the back of Nate’s chair as he presses their lips together. Nate’s surprised by the softness, but his shoulders fall and he’s leaning up until Mick’s kiss. Nate furthers the kiss as he grabs onto the lapel of Mick’s coat, sliding his lips against Mick’s for better access. And just as he lets his lips part to take a breath, Mick’s pulling back.

Nate drops his hand into his lap disappointedly as Mick stands up straight, wearing the smug smile Nate could only expect. Then he turns around, making a move to exit when Nate’s hand darts out and grabs onto the hem of Mick’s jacket.

“Wait,” he demands, and luckily, Mick obliges. He turns around slowly as he looks down at Nate with curiousness in his gaze. “What was that?”

Mick gives him a plain look, as if he’s not sure how Nate isn’t understanding. “The gesture.” He answers. Then he turns back towards the door, stepping away from Nate and out of the office without any further explanation.

“Well,” Nate exclaims breathily as his hands come together in his lap. His eyes haven’t left the spot that Mick’s just left, brain running haywire from the kiss. “I guess I’m going to have to find a way to follow that up.”


End file.
